SE Z5600 a

[kingkorg]

As kingkorg suggested here is a raw vocal take recorded simultaneously to compare the two mics.
Distance to mic was about 8 inches.

Rode NT1a


SE Z5600

First of all, great vocal!
I guess this is you. I didn't get to test exactly what i wanted as you are a tenor, and we don't get to see much below 200hz since there's not much information below fundamental, however we get some clues.


This is Røde. I'd say you have an issue with this one rather than the SE.
There is significant amount of rumble below 50hz that shouldn't be there. This might give you false impression it sounds fuller, but it's just junk!

This is boosted part of your SE take before the vocal starts. Just the noise of the tube mic. The noise is full range, and even some 50hz probably coming from EMI. This would confirm there's nothing wrong with the circuit, no low end roll off coming from it. So there's nothing wrong with the circuit. Additionally, the tube mic has marginally higher noise than the NT1a which is known to be extremely quiet. Whatever tube you have in SE, it's a good one!


Here i cut everything below 50hz on both takes with a very steep filter, and then used matching EQ to show the difference between the two takes. Suddenly SE shows to have actually more low end if Røde's rumble is removed.

My guess is that SE works just as it should.

If you have some more time, make another take with the same setup but use a source that has more low end content, or just try to sing as low as you can.

In this specific case, i'd rather use the SE than Røde which has way too much rumble down there. Also at the end of the take, Røde has a click, or a pop, not present in SE.

 

[McIrish]

Possibly dumb question, but looking at the frequency plot makes me wonder if there is any high frequency filtering going on. Without that compensation, a K67 capsule will sound way too bright. Is it possible that it's just not a very good design and a single cap might roll off the highs a bit, giving it a bit more balanced sound?

 

[kingkorg]

Possibly dumb question, but looking at the frequency plot makes me wonder if there is any high frequency filtering going on. Without that compensation, a K67 capsule will sound way too bright. Is it possible that it's just not a very good design and a single cap might roll off the highs a bit, giving it a bit more balanced sound?

Not a dumb question at all. These SE capsules are different than typical k67, so i can't be sure. Also NT1a is not dark capsule do begin with. I can't swear by the graphs, more full range source would be better, and reveal more. Like white/pink noise. But also some roll off could appear because tube-transformer interaction. However i doubt it, as the roll off would show in the noise floor response on the image above.

 

[kingkorg]

@spottydog10 as @Voyager10 suggested, check is the patterns work as they should, and you're not stuck in omni for whatever reason.

Edit:
And now that i said that i tried to cancel out the takes doing a null test, and i think there might be an issue with pattern selection on the SE.

 

[RoadrunnerOZ]

Easy enough test using a DC meter on the wiper of the pattern select switch (ends up via a 1M5 resistor on pin 3 of the connector on the PSU) - it should range in steps from 0V (Omni) to 60V (Cardioid) to 120V (fig 8)

 

[amplexus]

If the capsule metal frame is distorted in any way there would be uneven tension on the diaphragm - as I noted before in #19 & #30 the mic looks like it took a heavy hit enough to cause that crack. The plastic cracked at the midpoint between the mounting bolts indicates the capsule has tilted either backward or forward enough to distend and crack the mount which in turn could make the ring frame integrity suspect (as well as the tube and possibly the pcb which could have cracked) but it would be likely the plastic mount bore the full brunt of the impact. Really need to release the capsule from the frame and check the ring edge surfaces for true flat - any out of true deformation will unevenly tension the diaphragm and may reduce low frequency performance but it would take a lot of force and leverage against something immobile to do that. You would notice a sonic difference between front and rear in fig 8 setting if that were the case.

You would likely have to hit the capsule with a hammer to get it to distort as you describe. The rings are screwed with a dozen or more screws into solid (for all intents and purposes) brass plates, effectively becoming part of the structure. They are not like a speaker basket frame and can’t in practical terms move independently of the backplate.

Any impact of that magnitude would do a lot more than crack the saddle.

 

[RoadrunnerOZ]

Like I said it would take a LOT of blunt force levered against something immobile and there’d be evidence of that sort of hit in the ring frame - as it is, it looks like the saddle mount is the only martyr here - there is nothing else other than the couple of mounting screws from the mount to the backplate that are single points of potential leverage but which would likely bend before distortion of the screw-holes in the frame - this dependant on the metal the screws are made from and the thickness of brass between the threads and the plate faces.
A hard side hit directly into the ring frame/backplate could cause some sort of distress but this would require the basket to be off or the basket hit hard enough to deform and belt into the frame. Condenser mics are pretty tough.
Vacuum tubes are mechanically robust and are designed to handle way more abuse than most operating scenarios supply but any tube can suffer damage from a significant drop even in a shockmount especially if running with a hot filament - red hot metal can deform more easily than cold. I’d be looking at tube ageing and capacitors dying for any loss in performance.

 

[ZHOUJUN]

这个胶囊我曾经修过，和你的很相似， 它缺乏低频并且有风噪， 隔膜有一些轻微的皱纹和水分， 重新换皮后就恢复正常了， 您可以仔细观察一下胶囊隔膜上是否有明显的皱纹， 但是，它可能与您的情况不一致， 如果看到鞍座有裂纹，很可能是跌落后胶囊皮与电极板之间的距离发生了变化， 您可以尝试拧紧中间的螺丝。

 

[Khron]

这个胶囊我曾经修过，和你的很相似， 它缺乏低频并且有风噪， 隔膜有一些轻微的皱纹和水分， 重新换皮后就恢复正常了， 您可以仔细观察一下胶囊隔膜上是否有明显的皱纹， 但是，它可能与您的情况不一致， 如果看到鞍座有裂纹，很可能是跌落后胶囊皮与电极板之间的距离发生了变化， 您可以尝试拧紧中间的螺丝。

Congratulations..?

Do keep in mind, though, that whatever auto-translation features your browser has, they only work in one direction (it doesn't translate your post back into English).

 

[rock soderstrom]

这个胶囊我曾经修过，和你的很相似， 它缺乏低频并且有风噪， 隔膜有一些轻微的皱纹和水分， 重新换皮后就恢复正常了， 您可以仔细观察一下胶囊隔膜上是否有明显的皱纹， 但是，它可能与您的情况不一致， 如果看到鞍座有裂纹，很可能是跌落后胶囊皮与电极板之间的距离发生了变化， 您可以尝试拧紧中间的螺丝。


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google translated:

"I have repaired this capsule before, and it is very similar to yours. It lacks low frequency and has wind noise. The diaphragm has some slight wrinkles and moisture. After re-skinning, it returned to normal. You can carefully observe whether there are obvious signs on the capsule diaphragm. However, it may not be consistent with your situation. If you see cracks in the saddle, it is likely that the distance between the capsule skin and the electrode plate has changed after falling. You can try to tighten the screw in the middle."

I love translater apps... ;-)

 

[kingkorg]

这个胶囊我曾经修过，和你的很相似， 它缺乏低频并且有风噪， 隔膜有一些轻微的皱纹和水分， 重新换皮后就恢复正常了， 您可以仔细观察一下胶囊隔膜上是否有明显的皱纹， 但是，它可能与您的情况不一致， 如果看到鞍座有裂纹，很可能是跌落后胶囊皮与电极板之间的距离发生了变化， 您可以尝试拧紧中间的螺丝。


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Do you make the diaphragms yourself, or do you buy them somewhere? Gold sputtering?

 

[ZHOUJUN]

Congratulations..?

Do keep in mind, though, that whatever auto-translation features your browser has, they only work in one direction (it doesn't translate your post back into English).

Sorry, my English is very bad.

 

[Khron]

Sorry, my English is very bad.

Nobody's perfect But i'm pretty sure it's still a lot better than any of our Chinese

 

[ZHOUJUN]

Do you make the diaphragms yourself, or do you buy them somewhere? Gold sputtering?

The way I got it was to transplant.